Decorticating apparatus



May 7, 1946. K. KAISER I DECORTICATING APPARATUS 6 SheetsSheet 1 Filed May 19, 1941 a m P a K f l, M fol aw MEPE t mm m {NEED @9 mi? :W 69? I W .h: 1 m m m L w Q a I Q flwm w 2L fl w Q on Y mw mm mm m 4 @m m? 40%; mm M wm U May 7, 1946. K. KAISER DECORTIGATING APPARATUS Filed May 19; 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORN EY May 7, 1946. K. KAISER DECORTICATING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet s m r w 853 53260 60: M m n 4. FL. Lotoo Coum Lotoo ouma .3 a U S n Lo m co0 30L w otom k1 w o 0 o& A I P o 0L po 0 coo K Filed May 19, 194;

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K. KAISER DECORTICATING APPARATUS Filed May 19, 1941 e Sheets-Sheet 4 l INVENTOR Kor lv-K-oiser A? Z9 TTQRNEY K. KAISER DECORTICATING APPARATUS May 7, i946.

Filed May 19, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR Karl Kaiser May 7, 1946. K. KAISER DECORTICATING APPARATUS .Filed May 19, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Karl Kaiser l (w f- M INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented May 7, 1946 2,399,809 I DECOBTICATING APPARATUS Karl Kaiser, El Centro, Calii'., assignor to California Central Fibre Corporation, a corporatio oi! California Application May 19, 1941, Serial No. 394,048

7 Claims.

My invention relates to decorticating apparatus and more particularly to a portable machine adaptable for decortication in the field of various fibers such as flax, ramie, hemp, jute, crotalaria and other best fiber producing plants. Th machineis described hereafter with particular reference to flax but it is to be understood that it may be adapted for use for various other fiber containing plant materials of similar physical properties.

For use in the manufacture of certain high quality paper from fiax, such as for example cigarette paper, it is desired to treat the fiax straw so as to liberate at least partially the bast fiber from the other components principally the woody center portion of the flax stalk commonly referred to as shive. common practice to transport the flax straw to a decorticating plant having a permanently in- One of the principal reasons for the marked improvement in my machine as compared with Heretofore, it has been the passed one or more times for decortication,

The prior attempts with portable decorticators have not proven commercially satisfactory principally because they did not effect sufilcient separation of shive and cleaning of the best fiber to make field decortication profitable. Also the machines were not adapted to multiple operation. The prior, field decorticated, fiber material still required about the same treatment in the perma-' nent machine line as the regular untreated straw and therefore the expense of the preliminary field decortication could not be justified.

In accordance with my invention I have produced a portable decorticator that can be successfully operated in the field where the fiax straw is cut. The satisfactory commercial operation of this machine is made possible by the efiicient functioning of the machine in cleaning of the fiber. This operation is performed so efiiciently that little or no subsequent treatment of the fiber in the permanent machine line will be required. In other words, the decorticating action of the the prior portable machines is the new combination of the several decorticating, cleaning, and condensing devices employed in my machine. These comprise generally a brake roll assembly, having a plurality of light weight, high spaced rolls, a conical cleaner or duster, and a fiber aggregator or condenser, all connected in sequential cooperative relationship.

The light weight brake rolls operating at extraordinary high speeds produce a snap action on the flax stalks that is conducive to efiicient separation and removal of shive. Such operation is substantially superior to the conventional, relatively slow speed-rotation of heavy solid brake rolls. The light weight rolls have also made possible the use of a larger number of brake rolls without unduly increasing the total weight of the portable machine.

The partially decorticated fiber delivered by the improved brake roll assembly, even though markedly better than the usual fiber produced by the same number of slower operating prior art rolls, is not sufiiciently tree of shive tobe acceptable for high quality paper manufacture. Accordingly, in my improved machine I have provided a new form of fiber cleaner that receives the fiax material from the brake roll assembly and operates on it in such a manner that the mass of material is loosened, bloomed and thinned and large portions of the remaining shive efflciently removed from the fiber. This operation is performed in my conical, cleaner without any substantial cutting, scutching, hackling or carding action. Thereby injury to and shortening of the desired bast fiber machine removes the large proportion and in ages can be processed into finished fiber ready for .use in the paper'manufacture by treatment one. or more times in the same machine or in multiple machines. Thus flax is made available which would be impractical of use under the con ventional central plant plan of operation.

a condenser.

is avoided and a high quality product produced.

When the straw has been broken and cleaned as described, it is collected and concurrently further cleaned or refined by my condenser apparatus which is operatively connected to the delivery end of the conical cleaner. The condenser collects or aggregates the fiber and delivers it in a form and quantity suitable for direct baling or for delivery to another machine where complete refiningof the fiber is to be accomplished in the field. The condenser is so constructed and operated as described hereafter that it efiects further removal of shive and dust concurrently with collection of the fiber and thereby cooperates with the conical cleaner and brake assembly to produce clean fiber. Prior portable machines made no provision for collecting and cleaning fiber with Such machines suffer a loss of fiber by. reason of blowing fiber away with he shive.

Also, their deficiency in collection of fiber prevents multiple operation of machines.

For the manufacture of high quality paper it 1 is desirable to remove a preponderant portion of the shive component of the straw. .I have found that my machine, employing the above described improvements, will largely accomplish the necessary removal of the shive upon passing of the straw once through the machine. To remove the remaining small percentage of shive the straw may be passed through the machine a second time or through a similar machine operating in tandem, or may be given some slight decortication treatment in the machine line at the permanent plant preliminarily to introduction of the fiber into the pulping and paper making process.-

- In a number of instances the paper quality requirements are not as rigid as the exceptional one described above and the removal of shive, resulting from one pass of the straw through the machine, would sufllce. Accordingly the fiber thus produced could be baled directly and shipped to the paper factory without further decortication.

The power for operating my decorticating machine may be supplied by a tractor or any other suitable power means connected to the decorticator or alternatively, an engine or motor may be installed directly on the decorticator frame.

The construction and mode of operation of the machine of my invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters identify similar parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of one side of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a view of the other side of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine with some parts removed for sake of clarity;

Fig. 4 is an end view of the machine;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a portion of the fiber cleaning equipment on the machine;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the end brake rolls and associated parts, shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the fiber conveyor and housing:

'ings, partly in section, of the drives for the smooth end rolls of the brake roll assembly;

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic representation of the complete straw treating system, and

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic showing of a modifled arrangement of the straw treatingsystem.

Referring now to the several figures in the drawings and generally in the order in which they occur, my portable decorticator comprises generally, a feed hopper III for receiving the flax straw;

straw walkers H: a feeding device indicated generally at l2, which regulates the amount of straw passing through the machine: a brake roll assembly 13; a fiber transfer device It; 'a conical cleaner l5 and a fiber condenser. These prin- 78 cipal parts of the apparatus are supplemented by various detail constructions which are described hereafter, but they represent, generally speaking, the main operative parts of the equipment. The portable machine has a lower frame I1 and a substantially parallel upper frame I8; wheels IQ for easy transportation of the machine, and a fifth wheel 20 which is capable of turnin The upper and lower frames of the machine are connected by gusset plates 2 i Considering now the more detailed parts and operation of the machine, the flax or other straw is conveyed up the conveyor 22. This straw conveyor is detachable from the machine and during operation is connected to the brake feed hopper l0. This detachable straw conveyor may be either a slat conveyor or a flat belt conveyor or any other suitable type of conveyor. The conveyor may be located in line with the portable machine for stationary feeding of the flax, such as for example, from a nearby stack of flax straw. Alternatively, the conveyor may b offset to one side to permit the tractor connection, described hereafter, and feeding of the straw while the portable brake is moving. In such a case wheels may be provided at the lower end of the conveyor and a cross-conveyor may also be provided between the upper end of this straw conveyor 22 and the brake feed hopper l0. These alternative arrangements will be easily understood by one skilled in the art and do not require additional illustrations to thos shown herein and described more in detail hereafter.

The straw from the conveyor 22 is dropped into the hopper l0 which may be of conventional construction comprising angle iron frame and sheet metal sides. The straw is deposited on the straw walkers ll, four of which are shown in Figure 3. These walkers are constructed of. channel supports 23 covered with sheet metal slats of triangular cross-section indicated at 24. The walkers are provided with a shaft 25 and eccentrics 28.. Operation of the shaft with these eccentrics produces an up-and-down motion and concurrently a generally forward motion of straw walkers H which carries the straw into the field of operation of the feeding drum described below.

' The straw walkers are also provided with rocker arms 21 which function to pivot the straw walkers at the end opp site to the eccentrics 26. Underneath the straw walkers is located a dust or chaff guide 28 which conveys the chafl and dust from the straw towards the drag chain 60 described below.

In the feeder generally indicated at l2, the straw first comes into contact with the large diameter feed drum 29 having angularl set teeth 30 and rotating in the direction indicated by the arrow. The drum may be of any conventional suitable construction such as wooden staves having the pins 30 driven therethrough and extending about one to two inches beyond the wood at an angle of about 45.

Rotation of the drum causes varying amounts of the straw to be carried up and around the periphery of the drum until it comes into contact with a dofl'er cylinder 3|. This doiler cylinder may be of any suitable construction such as for example, separated metal discs having tubular pin bars 32 spaced around the periphery of the doifer cylinder. The bars 32 may be held by U-clamps, not shown, or by other suitable means. This doifer cylinder upon rotation in the direction indicated by the arrow knocks off excess 'amounts of straw carried by the feed drum 29 and thereby permits onl a certain amount of straw to be transferred to the stripper drum 33.

The doifer cylinder 3| in combing off the excess strawfromthe feed drum" permits only a certain thickness of the straw to pass. This combing action is eifected by means of the tubular pin bars, six such bars being used in practice for eificient operation. The angle at which the tubular pin bars are set governs the line of throw-oil of the straw. This dofier drum 3| is supported on slidable bearings (not shown) in order to regulate the gap between the doi'fer and the feed drum.

The stripper drum 33 rotating in a direction opposite to that of the feed drum 23 causes the straw carried by the feed drum to be stripped therefrom. This stripping action is produced by the tubular pin bars 34 on the drum 33 passing between the teeth 30 of the feed drum 2!.

The straw feeder which is comprised generally of the feed drum 29, the dofler drum 3| and stripper drum 33 cooperating as above described, has a housing 35 which substantially covers these drums. A portion 38 of the housing adjacent the stripper drum 33 is hinged as shown at 31. The purpose of this is to provide easy access to the feeder and to permit removal of straw if it becomes wound around the stripper drum.

The straw, stripped from the feed drum as described above, falls onto a chute or conveyor 38 for delivery to'the brake roll assembl indicated generally at I3, This brake roll assembly comprises a series of fluted bottom rolls 33 and a corresponding series of fluted top rolls 4.. The

bottom rolls are driven by positive drives as described hereafter and since they mesh with the top rolls they cause corresponding rotation of the top rolls. The brake rolls are mounted in bearings which are positioned by short brake pins II and long brake pins 42, and the top rolls are resiliently held by springs 43.

The last two rolls in the brake roll assembly, namely, top roll Q4 and bottom roll 45 are smooth surfacerolls for the purposes described hereafter. The other rolls 'in the brake assembly are corrugated or fluted rolls and may have the same or different number of corrugations or fiutings on the successive rolls in the assembly.

The straw, as it passes between the several sets of brake rolls shown in the assembly I 3, is subjected to the braking and compressing action of the rolls as they rotate at high speed. The result is that a substantial amount of the woody component of the straw, called shive, is separated from the outer bast fiber of the straw and falls down through spaces between the rolls and is carried away by the drag chain 60 de-' scribed below, t

The broken and partially decorticated material delivered by the smooth rolls l4 and 45 comes in contact with the endless belt or chain transfer device 46. This transfer device carries the material up the incline shown, within the conveyor housing A and delivers the straw material into the square intake duct 41 located at the top of the conical cleaner I5. 7

Within the conical cleaner IS the partially decorticated fiber is further cleaned and freed of shive by the operation of the rotor elements shown in Figure and described more in detail hereafter. The rotary elements in the conical celaner cause the fiber to be conveyed from the.

small end of the cleaner, where it enters, to the large end of the cleaner. -This cleaner has a sonically. shaped outer covering generally indicated at 0. The shive that is freed from the fiber in the conical cleaner falls through the reticulated bottom of the cleaner housing as shown and described later in connection with F18. 5. Guide shields for this shive which extend along the lower edge of the screen frame parallel with the shive conveyor are shown at 9 in Fig. 4.

The-fiber thus cleaned by the action of the conical cleaner is removed from the bottom of the cleaner at the large end thereof by means of a duct or conduit it and is transferred by suction upward through this duct to the fiber condenser It. This condenser is supported by the condenser frame 52.

The condenser I 3 operates as above suggested to concentrate the fiberdrawn through the duct 5| to the condenser by suction and further to separate out the shive and dust. The separated shive is removed by suction through conduit 53. The cleaned fiber falls from the condenser onto a fiber delivery chute 54 and from thence onto a fiber conveyor 55. This conveyor may carry the fiber to a baler or to additional decorticating equipment, such as a duplication of the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 4, for further decortication and refinement. In view of the fact that the fiber condenser is located in line and at the rear of the conical cleaner the cleaned fiber output of the condenser may be easily transferred to the brake roll assembly and conical cleaner and which falls onto the shive drag chain operatingover sprockets 59. The delivery side of this fan is connected to conduit 53. which in practice may extend for a number of feet upward and outward from the machine and through which the shive may be blown by the fan 56 to a convenient location away from the machine.

To complete the general-description of the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 4, brief reference is made here and given more in detail hereafter, to

that odd numbers of brake rolls, 1. e. one, three,

five, etc. are driven by the sprockets 63 and roller chains 64 located on one side of the machine as shown in Fig. 2; and the even numbers of brake rolls, i. e. two, four, six, etc. are driven by .the corresponding elements BI and 62 located on the opposite side of the machine as -shown in Fig. 1. Further details of the drive are discussed hereafter in connection with Fig. 11.

Referring to Fig. 4 which is a rear end view of the machine the large end of the conical cleaner is indicated generally at 48 and the shive guide shields at. 49. The shive removal conduit 53 is i'ormed in a more or less substantially U-shape and as above indicated connects with the fiber condenser IS on oneend and the shive blower or fan 56 on the other end. The fiber duct 5|, which conveys the fiber from the conical cleaner to the condenser, extends outward and upward from the conical cleaner and enters the condenser on a plane substantially parallel with the machine. The supporting condenser frame is indicated at 52 and the condenser cleaning roll is shown at I58.

Referring now to Fig. 5 which shows in greater detail certain of' the improved features of my decorticating machine, these features are considered further as they appear from left to right in the drawings. The two smooth-surface delivery rolls 40 and 45, as shown, are the last two rolls in the brake assembly indicated generally at l0. These rolls, are similar to the other brake rolls 30 and 40 except that they do not have fiutings on their surfaces, that is, they are not f with a sheet steel flooring 80 and also with a corrugated. The purpose of these smooth delivery rolls is to provide more efficient transfer of the fiber from the corrugated brake roll set to the fiber conveyor ll. The combination of these smooth surface rolls together with the cooperating scraper blades, about to be described, efiects good delivery of the fiber to the fiber conveyor and prevents winding of the fiber around the last two rolls in the brake-roll set as otherwise commonly occurs.

Arranged substantially tangentially to the surface of the smooth rolls 44 and 4 5 are two scraper blades 05 and 68, the detailsf'which are more clearly shown in Fig. 6. These scraper blades are mounted on square pivot shafts 61. The bearlugs 08 for upper pivot shaft 81 are mounted on the bearing I00 for the smooth top roll 40 so that the scraper blade 05 will follow the lifting movement of the smooth top roll 44 and maintain contact therewith at all times. Each of the return metal shield 8|, for carrying the shive to the blower drop. The conveyor is supported by a structural steel frame 02. and covered with a housing A.

At the upper end of the fiber conveyor there is provided a duplicate shaft, smooth roll, and sprocket combination described below'for guiding and returning the conveyor chain 18. The housing for this portion of the conveyor is curved as shown at 83 for conducting the mass of fiber scraper blades is made of spring steel, which I .have found offers substantial advantages, and

has a fiat steel backing 00 and a fiat steel cover I0. The spring steel of the scraper blade has, advantageously, a thickness of about 0.010 inch to 0.020 inch. It is to be noted that the fiat steel cover 10 is beveled to facilitatefree fiber fiow.

To provide for desired movement of the scraper blades a lever II is fastened to each pivot shaft 01 and a tension spring I2 is connected at the other end of the lever Ii. It is to be noted that the bearing 60 for the lower pivot shaft 01 is mounted on the upper trailer frame l0. Under the tension applied by the springs 1'2, the scraper blades 65 and 66 contact the surface of the two smooth rolls and remove therefrom any fiber which tends to pass around these rolls during operation of the machine.

Located adjacent the smooth rolls .44 and 45, above described, is the fiber conveyor 46. This conveyor may assume several forms but is shown in Fig. 5, and more in detail in Figs. 7 and 8, as a slat conveyor built on a roller chain with attachments. This conveyor comprises several special features including the following: It operates at relatively high speed, that is, at the brake roll surface speed and therefore accommodates the fiber supplied by the brake rolls without backing-up of the fiber delivered from the brake rolls. Flat steel connectors are prochain sprocket I5 is mounted on each end of this through the conical cleaner.

and some shive, carried by the conveyor, downward into the opening indicated at 84 in the small end of the conical cleaner l5.

Referring now to some of the details of the conical cleaner, the small end thereof has a cover plate 85 and the large end thereof has a cover plate 06. The housing portion of the conical cleaner'is held together by longitudinally arranged tie rods 81 as shown in Fig. 2. The bottom portion of the conical cleaner is made of an open mesh screen 08 supported by a screen frame 80. The shive that is liberated from the fiber by the action of the conical cleaner passes through the openings in the screen member 88 and falls onto the shive drag chain 60.

Extending longitudinally through the center of the conical cleaner is a large diameter rotor 00 which supports a plurality of fiat rotor blades 9| somewhat spirally arranged around the rotor. These blades are shown as fiat blades without pitch, however, some or all of the blades may be twisted if desired to speed the travel of the fiber These blades 9| have generally, smooth, dull ends and edges and since they do not coact with any fiber holding elements in the conical cleaner (such as commonly used in scutching or hackling machines) no appreciable scutching or hackling takes place in this conical cleaner. The primary purpose of the blades is to loosen the fiber, that is, to make the fiber bloom and thereby effect separation of the included or entangled shive. The beating action of the blades loosens the shive from the fiber so that a substantial further separation and disposal of shive is obtained.

The cleaned fiber produced in this conical cleaner is drawn through the conduit 5| from the large end of the cleaner and conducted through the conduit up to the condenser I0 in the manner already described before. The upper portion of the conduit 5| is formed into a substantially fiat, spreader pipe section 02. This spreader pipe 92 is connected at the junction 03 with the condenser entrance 94. The condenser, comprises a rotating outer perforated cylinder 05 and a stationary internal suction head 08 which is connected with the suction fan described hereinabove. The effective segment of the suction head is indicated at 01. where the solid metal surface of the suction head is omitted, so that the shive and waste portions of the fiber are permitted to enter the perforations 08 and pass into the shive conveying duct 53.

The long bast fiber now cleaned from the major portion of the shive is aggregated, collected or condensed on the confined circumferential surface of the outer perforated cylinder 05 where 59 is shown at IOI.

it covers the open portiomof the suction head and is thence passed between the outer cylinder 95 and a roll 99. This roll is a rubber covered fiber discharge roll, preferably made of synthetic rubber, and acts as a seal for the suction on the suction head of the condenser while the fiber is rolled out therefrom. The fiber thus transferred falls onto the discharge shield 54 and slides down this shield onto a belt or other conveyor 55 which leads to either the baling chamber of a fiber baling press or to another decorticating machine as described before. A bladed combing roll I 58 is located adjacent the lower surface of the perforated cylinder 95 and rotates to keep the perforated cylinder clean.

The shive which is produced in the above described operation of the machine is transferred to the lower part of the machine and from there out to the ground as already referred to above.

' The several parts of the apparatus employed for this shive disposal are identified more in detail as follows:

A small portion of shive, and principally the chaff and dust originally present in the straw as it is fed to the machine, falls down through the spaces between the straw walker II shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and. is collected in the sheet metal pouches 20 located underneath the straw walkers. The shive, chaff and dust in the pouches 20 is conveyed to the shive drag chain located beneath the brake roll assembly. The shive drag chain arrangement beneath the conical cleaner, as shown in Fig. 5, has on each end a pair of sprockets 59. Between the sprockets is provided a sheet metal cylinder I00 for guiding the shive. Each sprocket shaft is equipped with sucha cylinder. The drive shaft which rotates the sprocket The wooden slats which are located at spaced intervals in the drag chain 00 are shown at I02. A sheet metal flooring I03 is located beneath the shive drag chain 00. To prevent the lower shive drag chain from sagging, tracks I04 are provided. By movement of the drag chain 00 carrying the slats I02, the shive which is separated in the conical cleaner I5 is dragged to a point adjacent the end of the brake roll assembly and as the drag chain passes over the sprocket 59 the shive is dumped into a shive drop I05 which in turn is connected to suction pipe 51. The latter is connected to suction fan 50. The blast side of this fan is connected to the shive disposal pipe 50 that extends outward and away from the machine for blowing the shive awa from the machine asalready described above.

Beneath the brake roll assembly I3 there is provided a shive disposal drag chain arrangement which is the substantial duplicate of the arrangenon-friction ball bearings indicated generally at I" for the top roll and I II for the bottom roll, and is fastened to the outer hollow shell I00 by means of the bushings H2 and H3 described below.

To provide efllcient transmission of torque between the shaft I00 and the shell I00 I employ a fl nge bushing II2 adjacent the ball bearings I09 and extending into the shell I00 up to the Point of the increased bore diameter indicated at III. At the opposite end of the roll I have provided a tapered bushing III which serves to maintain tight connection between the shaft I03 and the shell I00, thus preventing rattling or other adthat of machined teeth. In the event the teeth become damaged, the shell I00 may be removed and the same shaft I00 used over again, thereby materially reducing the usual replacement costs for solid machined rolls.

In Figs. 10 and 10A, there is shown in front elevation, a unit of the brake roll assembly. It comprises the short brake pins H and long brake pins 02, respectively, for holding the bottom rolls against lateral displacement and for permitting the top rolls to move vertically. The top rolls are connected together in pairs by meansof a'saddle shown at I II which rests on the top roll bearings I09, and which is held under tension of the helical spring 43. The bottom rolls are rotatively supported in bearings I I0.

The various drives for the decorticating machinery described above are shown generally in Fig. 11- and the driving connections between the portable machine and" the sources of power are indicated schematically in-Figs. 13 and 14. Re-

ferring now to these figures and generally in the order in which they occur, the system shown in Fig. 1 1 derives its power through the intermediary of the belt Hi. This belt may be connected on the other end to a tractor power take on as shown in Fig. 13 or to an engine mounted on the end of the portable decorticator as shown in Fig. 14.

The belt II5 drives the main drive pulley 0,- shown in Fig. 1, which is mounted on the main cross shaft II1. A jack shaft II8, which is mounted above the conical cleaner I5, is connected to the main shaft I I1 by means of a chain or belt drive indicated at II9. A chain drive I20 ment described Just above in connection with the conical cleaner and for practical-purposes may be considered the same in structure and operation. Like reference characters have'been applied to parts of this brake roll assembly shive disposal arrangement which correspond to those for the conical cleaner shive disposal. The shive removed by the drag chain operating under the brake roll assembly is transferred to the same shive drop I05 and is removed therefrom as alshell I00 having cast teeth or flutes I01, and a center shaft I00.

Each roll shaft I08 is supported on each end by conveys power from the shaft IIO to the shaft I 2| of the condenser combing roll I50, shown in A v belt drive I22 connects the main cross shaft Ill to a pulley I23 mounted on the shaft I24 of the fan 50, shown in Fig. 4, and thereby conveys operating power to the fan.

The shafts IOI are the drive shafts for the shive conveyor located underneath the brake rolls and conical cleaner, as shown in Fig. 5. They obtain their rotating power through sprocket I30 and chain drive I25, which is connected to sprocket I30 on the jack shaft I20 and the latter in turn connected to the shaft I21. The sprocket I20, which is mounted on the-shaft I21, drives chain I29 which effects rotation of the ninth and eleventh bottom rolls, shown in Fig. 2. The sprocket I30, on shaft I20, drives chain I3I and thereby rotates the thirteenth and fifteenth brake rolls, shown in Fig. 2.

Mounted on shaft H1 is a right angle gear drive I32 and connecting the latter with the conical cleaner rotor 90 is a V belt drive I33, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Connecting the shafts H1 and I21 is a chain drive I34 operating over a large sprocket I35 on shaft I21. On the opposite end of shaft I21 is sprocket I31 which drives chain I38 and the latter effects rotation of the tenth and twelfth brake rolls as shown in Fi 1.

A chain drive I39 connects shaft I21 with shaft I40, and a sprocket I4I thereon drives chain I42 and thereby the fifth and seventh brake rolls shown in Fig. 2. On the other end of shaft I40 is sprocket I43 and chain I44 which drive the sixth and eighth brake rolls, shown in Fig. 1.

Connecting shaft I40 with the next jack shaft I45 is a chain drive I46. On shaft I45 is mounted sprocket 63 carrying chain 64, as shown in Fig. 2, which drives the first and third brake rolls, as previously referred to. On the other end of shaft I45 is sprocket 6| and chain 62 that effect rotation of the second and fourth brake rolls, shown in Fig. 1.

On shaft I21, adjacent sprocket I31, isa large pulley I41 that connects by means of a crossed flat belt I48 to pulley I49 on shaft I50 of the stripper drum 33, shown in Fig. 1. The stripper shaft I50 is connected to the shaft II of the doffer drum 3|, by means of a crossed fiat belt drive I52. The stripper shaft I50 is also connected to the eccentric shaft by means of a crossed fiat belt I53.

The eccentric shaft 25 is provided with aclutch I54, and a chain drive I55 which connects shaft 25 with the shaft I56 of the feed drum 20.-

A chain drive I51 connects the eccentric shaft 25 with the shaft on the straw conveyor 22, shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 12, 12A and 123 there is shown generally an arrangement for providing a positive drive to the two smooth end rolls 44 and 45. The .bottom roll 45 is driven from the same jack shaft I26 that drives the fourteenth brake roll. The chain I59, shown in Fig, 1, is connected to this jack shaft I26 and thereby effects rotation of the bottom smooth roll 45 and the fourteenth fluted bottom brake roll.

The top smooth end roll is driven by means of the following arrangement; a gear I60 is connected to the shaft of the thirteenth, bottom, fiuted'roll and this gear meshes with a gear I6I which in turn carries a sprocket I62. A similar sprocket I63 is mounted on the shaft of the smooth top delivery roll 44. These two sprockets I62 and I63 are connected by a chain drive I64. In this manner the thirteenth, bottom,.fluted roll, which is driven by sprocket I and chain I3I as described above, provides a positive drive for the smooth top roll 44.

Referring now more in detail to Figs. 13 and 14, the arrangement shown in Fig. 13 is used where the portable decorticator does not supply its own operating power but obtains the same from a tractor or other suitable power supply connected by the belt shown at II5. In such case the conveyor for transferring the fiber from the portable decorticator to the baler is arranged transversely to the decorticator so as not to interfere with the power supply.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 14 two port-' able decorticators are connected in tandem and are spaced apart a short distance by a fiber conveyor which transfers the partially decorticated fiber produced by the first machine, to the second decorticating machine that completes the required separation of shive from the bast fiber. The clean fiber delivered from the second machine is baled as indicated and is ready for shipment to the paper factory. In the arrangement of Fig. 14, the operating power for both machines is obtained as indicated from the engine mounted at the rear of the first portable decorticator.

Various modifications and changes may be made in the constructions and methods of operation described hereinabove without departing from the purview of my invention, some of the novel features of which are defined in the appended claims.

' The hollow brake rolls and method of manu-.

facture referred to above and illustrated in part in the drawings are not claimed in the present application but are fully disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 645,840, filed February 6, 1946.

I claim:

1. In straw decorticating apparatus having means for breaking the straw to loosen the flexible bast fiber from the shive normally combined therewith and thereby produce a heterogenous mixture of bast fiber and loosened shive an horizontal cleaner and transfer means for transferring freely and loosely said mixture to said cleaner without scutching or cutting of the bast fiber, said cleaner being adapted for tumblingand separating said mixture of bast fiber and shive so that the shive can be discharged to waste and the bast fiber collected for use, said cleaner comprising a conical housing having smooth inner walls free of fiber scutching elements and a reticulated bottom for discharge of v said shive, a rotor extending centrally and longitudinally through said housing, a plurality of separate, elongated, blades mounted on said rotor from one end to the other at relatively widely spaced locations and extending in close proximity to the inner walls of said housing but without contact therewith, said blades having generally smooth, dull edges and ends and upon r0- tation serve to bloom or disentangle the mixture of bast fiber and shive so that the shive is separated out through said reticulated bottom of said housing and the bast fiber is liberated without cutting or scutching and may be removed from the housing and collected for use.

2. In straw decorticating apparatus having roll means for breaking the straw to loosen the flexible bast fiber from the shive normally combined therewith and thereby produce a heterogenous mixture of bast fiber and losened shive, an horizontal cleaner for tumbling and separating said mixture of bast fiber and shive so that the shive can be discharged to waste and the bast fiber collected for use, said cleaner comprising a conical housing having smooth inner walls free of fiber scutching elements and a reticu- I one end to the other at relativelywidely spaced locations and extending in close proximity to the inner walls of said housing but without contact therewith, said blades having generally smooth, dull edges' and ends and upon rotation serve to aaoaeoo 7 bloom or disentangle the mixture of bast fiber and shive so that the shive is separated out through said reticulated bottom of said housing and the bast fiber is liberated without cutting or scutching and may be removed from the housing and collected for use.

3. In straw decorticating apparatus having means for breaking the straw to loosen the flexible bast fiber from the shive normally combined therewith and thereby produce a heterogenous mixture of bast fiber and loosened shive, an horizontal cleaner and transfer means for transferring freely and loosely said mixture to said cleaner without scutching or outing of the bast fiber, said cleaner being adapted for tumbling and separating said mixture of bast fiber and shive so that the shive can be discharged to waste and the bast fiber collected for use, said cleaner comprising a conical housing having smooth inner walls free of fiber scutching elements and a reticulated bottom for discharge of said shive, a rotor extending centrally and longitudinally through said housing, a plurality of separate, elongated, twisted blades mounted on said rotor from one end to the other at relatively widely spaced locations and extending in close proximityto the inner walls of said housing but without contact therewith, said blades having generally smooth-dull edges and ends and upon rotation serve to bloom or disentangle the mixture of bast fiber and shive so that the shive is separated out through said reticulated bottom of said housing and the bast fiber is liberated without cutting or scutching and is propelled by said rotating, twisted blades through the length of said housing for collection at the exit end thereof.

4. In straw decorticating apparatus having means for breaking the straw to loosen the flexible bast fiber from the shive normally combined therewith and thereby produce a heterogenous mixture of bast fiber and loosened shive, an horizontal cleaner and transfer means for transfercleaner without scutching or cutting of the bast fiber, said cleaner being adapted for tumbling and separating said mixture of bast fiber and shive so that the shive can be discharged to waste and the bast fiber collected for use, said cleaner comprising a conical housing having smooth inner walls free of fiber scutching ele- 1 ments and a reticulated bottom for discharge of said shive, a rotor extending centrally and longitudinally through said housing, a plurality of separate, elongated, blades mounted on said rotor from one end to the other at relatively widely spaced locations and being of progressive- 1y increasing length from the small end to the large end of said conical housing so that each of said blades extends to approximately the same distance from the adjacent inner wall of the housing but without contact therewith, said blades having generally smooth, dull edges and ends and upon rotation serve to bloom or disentangle the mixture of bast fiber and shive so that the shive is separated out through said reticulated bottom of said housing and the bast fiber is liberated without cutting or scutching and may be removed from the housing and collected for use. I

5. In straw decortlcating apparatus the combination of means for breaking the straw so as to loosen the shive from the bast fiber, and

, breaking means to said receiving means, said transfer means being so constructed and arranged with respect to said receiving means that it delivers thereto said mass of broken straw freely and loosely and thereby avoids cutting and scutching of .the straw, said receiving means comprising a cleaner having a housing with smooth interior walls, a rotor extending longitudinally through the center of said housing and ring freely and loosely said mixture to said non-cutting, non-scutching blades mounted on said rotor at relatively widely spaced locations and operative upon rotation to disentangle the aforesaid mass of broken straw and separate out the shive without substantial scutching or cutting of the bast fiber.

6. In straw decorticating apparatus the combination of means for breaking the straw so as to loosen the shive from the bast fiber, and means forreceiving this broken straw in the form of a tangled mass and for tumbling and beating this mass to open it up and separate the previously loosened shive from the bast fiber so that the shive may be discharged to waste and the bast fiber reclaimed for further use, said receiving means being located in spaced relationship with said straw breaking means, and transfer means spanning the space therebetween for transferring said mass of broken straw from the breaking means to said receiving means, said transfer means being so constructed and arranged with respectto said receiving means that it delivers thereto said mass of, broken straw freely and loosely and thereby avoids cutting and scutching of the straw, said receiving means comprising a conical cleaner having a housing with smooth interior walls, a rotor extending longitudinally through the center of said housing, and non-cutting, non-scutching blades mounted on'said rotor at relatively widely spaced locations and operative upon rotation to disentangle the aforesaid mass of broken straw and separate out the shive without substantial scutching or cutting of the bast fiber.

-7. An apparatus for decorticating straw, comprising means for feeding the whole straw,

means for breaking the shive component of the straw to permit separation thereof from the bast.

fiber component, means for transferring said broken straw, and a cleaner located in spaced mrimsnaw 

